Cinespot : An Exclusive Interview with Hong Kong Director Joe Ma

An Exclusive Interview
with Director Joe Ma Wai-Ho
(Part II)

Your Works

Cinespot: Among all your works, which one do you like most?

Ma: It's changing constantly. Right now, my favorite is The Lion Roars. However, in terms of the production process, I enjoyed making Funeral March most.

Cinespot: Talking about Funeral March, we know that many people love it. Some people think the film is little slow-paced, that it resembles the composed feeling of Japanese or Korean cinema. Can you tell us little more about the production of this film?

Ma: The original concept was from my friend, who is also a screenwriter. His preliminary idea was about how a boy and a girl, who are both suffering from cancer, meet and encourage each other. After I listened to his idea, I began to think. I kept thinking and expanding the plot. I wondered how I could make it interesting. One day, I finally came up with an idea, that is, the male protagonist should be a funeral broker. After that, the rest of the story was not a problem at all. Sometimes, what is good about filmmaking is that it allows the filmmakers to express their feelings. If there are thoughts you could not express in real life, it might be a good chance to tell them through a story in the film. A film does not necessarily have to be merely entertaining, there should be moments when the filmmakers are allowed to express their inmost feeling to the audience.
When the script was done, I was still working on Feel 100% Once More. I was so eager to discuss this exciting new project with someone, and the first person who came up was Eason Chan. He liked the script. I believed he fit the role of the protagonist, you know, his songs are very emotional. That's how I got my lead actor. Then I began to look for lead actress. I had talked to many actresses, most of them showed interest in the role, and finally I got Charlene Choi. Next was Gordan Chan, his company was the investor. He loved this script as well. All in all, the pre-production process was very smooth, I did not encounter any big problem at all.

Cinespot: Eason Chan always gives people a comical feeling. Did you have a hard time turning him into a serious and solemn character?

Ma: Not at all. If you listen carefully to his songs, you'll notice that he is a good thinker. No matter singing or expressing emotions, he always loves to contemplate. Eason is a discerning and intelligent person. He would not talk about craps. Certainly, sometimes he would discuss the role with me, but in most cases, I only gave him my opinion. I believe that the creation of a character is not only the responsibility of the screenwriter and the director, what is also very important is the participation of the actors. In this regard, Eason has definitely done a great job.

Cinespot: Can you tell us about the production of Summer Breeze of Love? Twins are so popular in Hong Kong now. When you were writing the script, did you try to glamorize their roles for the sake of their star images?

Ma: Do you mean not to ask them to smoke? (laugh) Based on my own experience as a director, I believe that you must love your characters in order to make a good film. No matter the lead actors or supporting actors, or even the bad guys in the film, you must make them feel that they have dignity. So the issue of glamorization did not actually exist. And in related to that, I also didn't try to deglamorize, or make them look ugly. If you hate your characters and look down on them, I believe the audience will not like them as well.

Cinespot: Did the agency of Twins ever interfere during the production process?

Ma: Sure not. Mani (the agent of Twins) is a good friend of mine. Certainly, she would oppose to kissing scene, but in general, she trusted me a lot. You know, she had many other choices, but she still decided to leave Twin's film debut (as a group) to me, you could tell how well she believed in me. Therefore, I did not have any pressure from their agency during the production process.

Cinespot: You have been the producer of Wilson Yip's films like the successful Bullets over Summer. What was the major factor that propelled your cooperation? In what way did he attract you to work with him?

Ma: Did you know that right now I am working as the producer of his work in progress Five Ghost-Haunting Kids (Official English title is not announced yet)? This film is scheduled to be released in December. I have been the producer of three of his films. Before our cooperation, I had been keeping an eye on his films. I thought that this person might be a very diligent filmmaker. Then I tried to contact him. After some conversations, I learned more about him and we decided to work together. What I found interesting was that he is really serious about filmmaking. He loves filmmaking very (Director Ma emphasized the word "very") much. He thinks a lot. Even when he has already come up with a very good idea, he will keep on thinking. After the production is finished, he still thinks. During the process of editing and sound editing, he thinks too. He is always trying to conceive ideas for his films. That's a big virtue. When I am working with him, my job is to tell him not to think too much, and to let him know that he has done a good job already (laugh). In short, our cooperation is successful. The role of a producer is somewhat similar to a psychotherapist. The job is to support and encourage the director.

Cinespot: Among all the new artists you have worked with, which one is most impressive?

Ma: This year, I have worked with Twins and Shine. I think both of them are not bad. Usually, teenagers love to lead a free and happy life, but that's not possible for them. Their workloads are really high, and they don't have much time to rest. Still, they are able to respect and fully participate in their jobs, and always try their best. I love their attitudes. I think they really value their opportunities. Comparatively speaking, I used to work with some new artists who are not that serious about their professions. I think that's not the appropriate way to work.

Cinespot: Why do you always love to employ new artists in your films? Is there any new artist you want to work with in the future?

Ma: Actually I am not in favor of new artists. There is no such classfication for me. The point is, the casting always involves the choices of the investors. If they think someone is popular enough to appear in a film, that's it. I would not argue with them.
Usually, I get to know new artists through newspaper and magazines. The impression is quite ostensible. What I think is, if you want to learn about a new artist genuinely, you have to talk to them face to face. The interview process is vital. When you are talking with them, you'll know whether they are really interested in filmmaking, and you'll know what is in their minds. Having said that, it is very hard to say which artists I want to cooperate before I actually speak with them. As I said, you really have to learn about their minds and personalities first. Even for experienced actors like Maggie Cheung, we all know she is a very good actress, however, if I were to work with her, I still have to arrange an interview with her. Because I do not know if she is in the mood for filmmaking at the moment. If she is not focused, we might have a hard time working together. As a result, an interview is inevitable.

The Future

Cinespot: In these few years, the market of Hong Kong cinema is declining, and Korean films are invading the local market. Compared with Korean films, what do you see as the advantages or disadvantages of Hong Kong films?

Ma: There must be advantages. Hong Kong movies are more intimate to Hong Kong people. We don't have to listen to a language we don't understand or follow the subtitles in order to understand the film. Nevertheless, it is hard to generalize a comparison. Korea produces more than one hundred movies a year, there must be some good movies and some bad ones. The same case applies to Hong Kong too, this year, we have about thirty movies produced, again, there must be some good movies and some bad ones. If you compare July Rhaspody to a mediocre Korean production, I think July Rhaspody is probably better; if you compare one of the best Korean movies, like My Sassy Girl, with the worst film in Hong Kong, My Sassy Girl is definitely better. So every case is different. I have asked my friend in Korea before, and I know that they really spend a lot of time on a movie. You know, I have a Korean friend who is also a young director, he has just finished his second feature film. He asked me how many films I have made, I told him fifteen, and he was startled by it. To them, directing fifteen movies is a life-long process. I think it is probably related to the pace of Hong Kong people. In every professions, we always want to work faster and produce more.

Cinespot: Do you think Korean film is a threat to Hong Kong film market?

Ma: Not only Korean films, Hollywood films are a great threat too. If we do not work harder, we will be in danger for sure. That's why we always have to do our best.

Cinespot: Apart from comedy, is there any genre you are interested in making?

Ma: In the past, I was interested in making light-hearted romantic comedy. While in the future, I would like to try out some crazy comedies. For instance, there is a film called Top Secret, the plot is totally insane and illogical, but it is hella funny.

Cinespot: But do you think Hong Kong people would love to see such a film?

Ma: Yes, it depends on the cast though. To Hong Kong audience, the cast is a critical factor. Seeing a film in theater is actually a transaction. The value of this transaction relies heavily on the stars in the movie. To me, the director is not a big concern for Hong Kong audience at all. Nevertheless, movie star is only a starting point, the quality of the film itself is still the most important part.

Cinespot: Is it hard to find investor and start a project now?

Ma: It depends on whether the creativity of the filmmakers and the speculation of the investors can find a resolve. If you have lots of creative ideas but the investors believe that they will lose millions of dollars for investing on your project, it is not possible for them to invest. On the other hand, if they want to invest but you have no creative ideas, it is also impossible to have a cooperation. Therefore, it requires efforts from both parties. Yes, it is hard to find an investor, but we still have to try. Talk more to potential investors and see if you can combine their ideas with yours. Sometimes you have to compromise, sometimes you have to hold firm to your ideas. Filmmaking is a process of collaboration. It requires mutual effort from many people, investors are only part of the team.

Cinespot: Thank you very much.

Ma: Thank you.

In conclusion, the interview was a huge success. We asked all our proposed questions. Again, we would like to appreciate director Joe Ma for taking his valuable time and sharing his insight with us. Please give a round applause to director Ma!

Thank you!

Host: Paggie Wong
Photography/Sound recording: Kelvin Chan
written and translated by K. Lui

Click here to go back to Part I.